Chapter 212: The Birth of the Oracle (3)

Hao was in trouble again, though this time, it was entirely self-inflicted. He had flown alone to the Comet Source.

According to intelligence from the Sanjing Sea star system, Ling Ziyan had stolen a spaceship and fled back to this place, which was the base of the Minge Assassination Group.

Yang Hao had traveled all this way to demand an explanation from Ling Ziyan. Although it was common for “Thousand-Faced Beauty,” the envoy directly under the Elder Council, to betray people, Ling Ziyan was carrying Yang Hao’s own child, making it impossible for Yang Hao to leave for Earth just yet.

The Comet Source was a landmass, and within it often lay massive amounts of energy. Occasionally, it would erupt, launching interstellar heavy rocks at tremendous speeds.

These ejected interstellar rocks became comets in various star systems. Simply put, the Comet Source was a gathering and launching point for comets, much like an active volcano, with highly unstable energy.

Every interstellar officer knew that the primary condition for setting up a military base was to avoid the Comet Source. It wasn’t just about not establishing a base there; even being hit by the core of a comet could destroy several warships.

Only a bizarre collective like the Minge Assassination Group would choose to reside in such a dangerous place.

As soon as Yang Hao set foot on the Comet Source, he shivered several times from the cold. People often didn’t realize that the blazing comets trailing long flames across the sky were launched from an extremely cold origin. Here, the surroundings were bitterly frigid, estimated to be over one hundred degrees below zero.

Even with the gravitational protective shield on his body, Yang Hao couldn’t resist the freezing cold. He swallowed several pills and circulated his inner energy throughout his body to finally restore his body to normal.

“Are those Minge people mad? Who can possibly live in such coldness?” Yang Hao muttered, “Could it be they all practice frost swords and need to be kept in a refrigerator to train?”

“Almost,” Yuan Yuanzi rarely agreed, “Take a look at their camp.”

Yang Hao flew to the Comet Source without being noticed. It wasn’t that the Minge had poor defenses; it was just that this place was simply not accessible to ordinary people. Within a hundred light-years radius, there wasn’t even a single planet to provide cover, so any approaching spaceship would be detected by the Minge. Not to mention the Minge’s hidden sentries scattered around; even if someone managed to land on the Comet Source, they would find it impossible to move forward even a single step.

However, Yang Hao had flown here on his sword, making it impossible for him to alert anyone. With Yang Hao’s current abilities, if he were to become an assassin, he would be far superior to any ordinary Minge swordsman.

Following Yuan Yuanzi’s words, Yang Hao peeked at the Minge Assassination Group’s camp. On this dark blue land resembling black iron, over a hundred black tents were set up. These tents were specially made from biological materials, not only able to withstand the harsh cold but also capable of blocking much of the cosmic radiation.

However, Yuan Yuanzi wanted Yang Hao to notice more than just the tents. On the top of each tent, one could see swirling blue mist-like cold vapors with the naked eye. These cold vapors weren’t unique to the Comet Source; they could only be emitted by cultivators.

“Those are Clear Nether Qi, real Clear Nether Qi!” Yuan Yuanzi exclaimed with pleasant surprise. “No wonder these assassins chose to live in such an icy place—they’re all cultivating Clear Nether Qi.”

“What is Clear Nether Qi?”

“It’s another cultivation method,” Yuan Yuanzi explained. “Among the Qi-consuming sects of immortality cultivation, there is one that specifically cultivates Clear Nether Qi. This Clear Nether Qi originates from icy coldness and is the most capable of unleashing freezing power. No wonder these assassins can silently kill their targets; this Qi allows them to remain completely calm and silent, enabling them to kill their opponents suddenly with the burst of Clear Nether Qi before their victims even realize what’s happening.”

Yang Hao nodded, understanding that various cultivation sects had their own unique skills. The Minge Assassination Group had learned from one of the elders in the Elder Council, further proving that the people in the Elder Council were indeed true cultivators.

“But… this sounds familiar. Isn’t there a main pill with this name?”

“You’ve got it, my smart apprentice. Your luck is really good,” Yuan Yuanzi was even more excited than Yang Hao. “Your next stage, the Hollow Nether Realm, requires the Clear Nether Ice Celestial Fire Pill, and the first essential ingredient is a large quantity of powerful Clear Nether Qi souls.”

Yang Hao understood Yuan Yuanzi’s meaning. He had heard of the Clear Nether Ice Celestial Fire Pill before. Back then, Yuan Yuanzi had been very satisfied with Yang Hao’s breakthrough to the Core Formation Stage and had almost given up hope for the Hollow Nether Realm, because forging this main pill was indeed extremely difficult.

Each main pill of the Alchemy Cauldron Sect had its own greatest challenge. For example, the Core Formation Stage was extremely difficult because one needed to find the cauldron for the pill, which was the Chi Nu Cauldron. Once one had this cauldron, the pill could be successfully created.

As for this Clear Nether Ice Celestial Fire Pill, the required power and cauldron were not problematic. With Yang Hao’s strength, he had more than enough power to concoct the pill, and the cauldron was even simpler. The Clear Nether Ice Celestial Fire Pill was entirely refined within Yang Hao’s body, using his own body as the cauldron for the pill.

The problem lay in the ingredients for the pill. This time, the ingredients were not ordinary medicinal herbs but three substances with different properties.

The prerequisite for concocting the pill was to be in an extremely cold icy place. This kind of cold place was not just ordinary freezing but also required a killing chill, described as “birds flying away from mountains and people leaving all paths,” an isolated and frigid place that ordinary people could never approach.

In this desolate and frigid place, celestial fire also had to be ignited. This sounded like a complete contradiction. How could a fire be lit in such a cold and icy place? Not to mention that the fire required was not ordinary but true celestial fire, like the flames that appear when a divine dragon manifests.

Just these two conditions alone were enough to make anyone attempting to forge this main pill give up. It wasn’t just difficult nowadays; even in Yuan Yuanzi’s time, for those who had broken through the Core Formation Stage, finding a place that met both conditions was extremely challenging.

Not to mention there was a third condition: it required the souls of many people who cultivated Clear Nether Qi as the main ingredient for the pill.

Hao found himself in another predicament, but this time, it was entirely of his own making. He had flown alone to the Comet Source.

According to intelligence from the Three-Crystal Sea Star System, Ling Ziyan had stolen a spacecraft and fled back to this very place—the headquarters of the Obsidian Assassins.

Yang Hao had traveled thousands of miles just to demand an explanation from Ling Ziyan. Although betrayal was routine for the Elder Council’s special envoy, the “Thousand-Faced Enchantress,” Ling Ziyan was carrying Yang Hao’s child, making it impossible for him to simply leave for Earth to take up his new post.

The Comet Source was not a typical landmass. It was a place brimming with immense energy, occasionally erupting without warning and ejecting massive chunks of interstellar rock at tremendous speeds.

These ejected rocks became the comets scattered across various star systems. In essence, the Comet Source was both a gathering point and a launchpad for comets—much like an active volcano, teeming with unstable energy.

Every interstellar officer knew that deploying troops required avoiding the Comet Source at all costs. Not only was it unwise to station forces there, but even a single impact from a comet’s core could obliterate several warships.

Only a group of freaks like the Obsidian Assassins would choose to make their base in such a perilous place.

The moment Yang Hao set foot on the Comet Source, he shivered violently from the cold. Few knew that the blazing comets streaking across the sky originated from this frigid wasteland, where temperatures plummeted to well below minus one hundred degrees.

Even with his gravity shield, Yang Hao couldn’t withstand the biting cold. He swallowed a few pills and circulated his qi throughout his body before finally regaining normal function.

“Are these Obsidian guys insane? How can anyone live in a place this cold?” Yang Hao muttered. “Are they all training in some kind of frozen sword technique? Do they need to be stored in a freezer to master it?”

“Pretty much,” Hunyuanzi agreed, which was rare for him. “Take a look at their camp.”

Yang Hao had flown to the Comet Source undetected—not because the Obsidian Assassins had poor defenses, but because this place was simply inhospitable to ordinary beings. Within a hundred light-years, there wasn’t a single celestial body to provide cover. Any approaching spacecraft would be spotted immediately, and with the assassins’ hidden sentries scattered everywhere, intruders would find it impossible to move freely.

But Yang Hao had arrived by sword flight, making no disturbance that could alert anyone. With his current strength, if he ever decided to become an assassin, he’d easily outmatch the average Obsidian swordsman.

Following Hunyuanzi’s suggestion, Yang Hao peered at the Obsidian Assassins’ camp. On the dark, metallic terrain stood over a hundred black tents made of specialized bio-materials, designed to withstand the extreme cold and block cosmic radiation.

But Hunyuanzi wanted Yang Hao to notice something else—above each tent, wisps of bluish mist swirled like ethereal clouds. This wasn’t a natural phenomenon of the Comet Source; it was the result of cultivation.

“That’s Netherfrost Qi—real Netherfrost Qi!” Hunyuanzi sounded pleasantly surprised. “No wonder these assassins live in such extreme cold. They’re all cultivating Netherfrost Qi.”

“What’s Netherfrost Qi?”

“It’s another cultivation method,” Hunyuanzi explained. “Among the Breath-Consuming School of immortal cultivation, there’s a branch dedicated to refining Netherfrost Qi. This energy originates from extreme cold and can unleash devastating icy force. No wonder these assassins can kill without a sound—this qi allows them to remain utterly calm and silent, striking with sudden bursts of lethal cold.”

Yang Hao nodded. Every cultivation sect had its own secrets, and the fact that the Obsidian Assassins were trained by an Elder from the Council only confirmed that the Council members were true immortals.

“But… it sounds familiar,” Yang Hao mused. “Isn’t there a core elixir with that name?”

“Exactly, my lucky disciple,” Hunyuanzi said, more excited than Yang Hao. “Your next breakthrough—the Void Realm—requires the Netherfrost Ember Elixir. The first key ingredient is a large number of powerful souls cultivated in Netherfrost Qi.”

Yang Hao understood. The Netherfrost Ember Elixir had been mentioned before, but back then, Hunyuanzi had been satisfied enough with Yang Hao reaching the Nascent Soul Realm and hadn’t held much hope for the Void Realm. The difficulty of forging this elixir was simply too great.

Every core elixir in the Alchemy Cauldron School had its own unique challenge. For the Nascent Soul Realm, the hardest part was obtaining the right vessel—the Chinu Cauldron. Once secured, the elixir could be successfully refined.

For the Netherfrost Ember Elixir, neither energy nor vessel was an issue. Yang Hao’s strength was more than sufficient, and the vessel was even simpler—his own body would serve as the cauldron.

The real problem lay in the materials. This time, they weren’t ordinary herbs but three fundamentally different elements.

First, the elixir had to be forged in an extremely cold place—not just any frozen wasteland, but a desolate, lifeless void where “no birds fly over a thousand mountains, no footprints mark ten thousand paths.” A place so isolated and frigid that no ordinary person could endure it.

Second, within this frozen void, celestial flames had to be kindled. This seemed contradictory—how could fire burn in such a cold, dark place? And not just any fire, but true celestial flames, akin to those heralding the appearance of a divine dragon.

These two conditions alone were enough to deter most cultivators. Even in Hunyuanzi’s era, finding a location that met both requirements was nearly impossible.

And then there was the third condition—the souls of numerous Netherfrost Qi cultivators had to serve as the elixir’s foundation.

“The Netherfrost Ember Elixir is the Alchemy Cauldron School’s first core elixir that uses others’ souls as material,” Hunyuanzi said softly. “It’s brutal—many powerful individuals must be slain to refine it. This elixir is also incredibly domineering. Not only does it enhance one’s abilities and bring you closer to immortality, but it can also alter your personality. The accumulated coldness of countless Netherfrost souls will leave an indelible mark on your own soul.”

“What will I become?” Yang Hao asked, concerned.

“Only by reaching the Void Realm can one truly commune with the spirits of heaven and earth.”

Yang Hao understood now—this was the true essence of the Void Realm. Hunyuanzi had once said that every immortal cultivator should forge a connection with the universe, where every mountain, river, star, and constellation resonates within their body. The Void Realm was the gateway to such spiritual communion.

“So, if I kill these Obsidian members, I can refine the Netherfrost Ember Elixir?” Yang Hao began scheming.

“Not them,” Hunyuanzi mentally shook his head. “Not just any Netherfrost cultivator will do—otherwise, it’d be too easy. You need at least ten souls of warriors above Level 20 to have a chance.”

“Ten Level 20s?” Yang Hao frowned. Even a Grand Swordmaster above Level 50 could only take on three Level 20 opponents at once. Killing ten was practically a fairy tale.

“Don’t get ahead of yourself. Forget about Level 20s—even this group here would tear you apart if you charged in,” Hunyuanzi chuckled, seeing right through Yang Hao’s thoughts. “You didn’t come here just for that girl, did you?”

Yang Hao didn’t deny it, smirking slightly. “Of course, I’m here for Ling Ziyan. But I also heard the Obsidian Assassins have the ‘Sword of Judgment’—something I’ve had my eye on for a while.”

“One of the Ten Divine Artifacts,” Hunyuanzi realized. According to the gods, collecting all ten swords would unlock the power left behind by the Creator. The Obsidian Assassins, as the hidden faction of the Ten Swords, safeguarded the infamous “Sword of Judgment.”

“But how do you plan to fight your way in alone?” Hunyuanzi’s concern was valid. The camp housed over a hundred assassins, each at least Level 10. Even with Yang Hao’s exceptional skills, facing so many alone was suicidal.

“Oh, I’ll just…” Yang Hao grinned slyly. “Sneak in and let them taste some of the Alchemy Cauldron School’s finest medicine.”

“What kind of person will I become then?” Yang Hao was a bit worried.

“In the process of cultivating immortality, one must be in emptiness to communicate with the spirits of heaven and earth.”

Yang Hao understood. This was the true essence of the Hollow Nether Realm. Previously, Yuan Yuanzi had said that every immortal cultivator should have a connection with heaven and earth, where every mountain and river, every star and constellation, could have a corresponding reaction within one’s body. The Hollow Nether Realm was about achieving such a spiritual state.

“So you’re saying that if I kill the members of the Minge, I can forge the Clear Nether Ice Celestial Fire Pill?” Yang Hao started to plot.

“Not just those people,” Yuan Yuanzi shook his head internally. “Not all cultivators of Clear Nether Qi can be used; otherwise, it would be too simple. They must be experts with combat power exceeding level twenty. Ten such souls would barely be enough to give it a try.”

“Ten level twenty experts?” Yang Hao began to frown. Even a grand swordsman who had broken through level fifty could challenge at most three level twenty experts at once. Killing ten level twenty experts was simply unimaginable.

“Don’t even think about it. Not only are level twenty experts out of your league, but even this current group, you would be walking into certain death,” Yuan Yuanzi chuckled, having already figured out Yang Hao’s intentions. “You came all this way, but I’m guessing it’s not just to find that girl, is it?”

Yang Hao didn’t deny it. He raised his eyebrows with a hint of amusement. “Of course, I need to find Ling Ziyan. Besides, I heard that there’s a ‘Sword of Judgment’ within the Minge Assassination Group, which has been mine for a long time.”

“One of the Ten Divine Weapons,” Yuan Yuanzi immediately understood. In the Divine Realm, the deities had already stated that collecting all ten swords would offer a chance to find the power left behind by the Creator. As a hidden member of the Ten Sword Stream, the Minge Assassination Group was guarding the famous “Sword of Judgment.”

“But how exactly are you going to break in by yourself?” Yuan Yuanzi’s concern wasn’t unfounded. In the camp, there were over a hundred assassins with more than ten levels of combat power. As the saying goes, one cannot fight against many hands. Even if Yang Hao was exceptionally strong, it would be nearly impossible to kill all those people.

“Of course, I will go in… secretly,” Yang Hao grinned slyly. “Let them taste the good medicine of the Alchemy Cauldron Sect.”